Heather Suzanne S. Bissell

Music Bio

Heather Bissell, M.M., M.Ed

Ms. Bissell began her training at the University of Southern Maine (1993) in Piano and Vocal Performance and holds two Masters in Music; one from The Hartt School of Music in Piano Performance/Piano Pedagogy, and one in Music Pedagogy with extensive training in Solfege and Music Theory Methodology recently obtained from the Ferenz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.  She also has Level 2 Certification in Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and all 7 units of Suzuki Piano Training.

As a child, she won numerous awards and competitions that eventually culminated with her becoming a finalist in the National Baldwin Piano Competition in 1991.  Later, she received performance scholarships from the University of Southern Maine, the Hartt School of Music, was the alternate recipient of the Fullbright Scholarship in 2008, and most recently, the Sarolta Kodaly Scholarship for study at the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemet, Hungary.  

She has toured with several ensembles within Europe and has participated in recordings both in the U.S. and abroad.  Past teachers include, Laura Kargul, Robert Cole, Frank Glazer, Frank Corliss, Margreet Francis, Paul Rutman, and Orsolya Szabo.  She has also performed in master classes with Seymour Bernstien, Nalita True, Lukas Foss, Orsolya Szabo, and Jeno Jando and returns regularly to Hungary to perform at the Fesztetics Castle in Keszthely.   

Before her study abroad, Ms. Bissell was on the piano faculty at the Hartt School of Music where she taught Suzuki and traditional piano, as well as the Collegiate Piano Lab. At present, she holds the position of Piano Department Chair and Director of the Suzuki Piano at Winchester Community Music School in Massachusetts and directs the MA Suzuki Festival.

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching music education has been my passion from the beginning.  My areas of specialty are classical piano (Suzuki and Traditional), vocal coaching (classical and Broadway), solfege/theory, and general music teaching. I have also had experience conducting choral repertoire.

My main philosophy is that I do not approach teaching with the goal of fashioning professional musicians, but instead well-rounded people who are also artists. Since music is so instrumental in a child’s overall development, I believe my main responsibility is to give the best quality education possible to every child and then help them see where it leads them individually. Every child is talented, it is just up to us to bring it out!